REGION- April 2nd- According to Kevin Gallagher, President of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 101 In Scranton, his members are preparing for the moving of the processing work currently be done at the United States Postal Service (USPS) facility in Scranton to the Lehigh Valley, but there are still many unanswered questions regarding the action.

The USPS announced in 2012 it would consolidate 48 mail processing centers throughout the nation including their operations in Scranton to the Lehigh Valley. The USPS stated the plan would save the agency nearly $1.2 billion a year.

The USPS stated around 5,000 workers would be affected by the consolidation. However, no lays-off would occur instead jobs would be “re-bid” under the labor agreement’s with the USPS and workers is some cases would need to either relocate or travel to other postal service facilities to continue to be employed by the USPS.

Mr. Gallagher stated the merging of the Scranton mail processing center with the Lehigh Valley has been delayed several times in the past and it could be postponed again, but his members must be ready for the possiblity of the closure.

APWU members will be the most effected by the merger. Mr. Gallagher stated more than half of his 180 members will need to be re-located or be re-assigned to other postal duties, such as becoming mail delivery carriers.

Mr. Gallagher told the newspaper that should the processing work be moved to the Lehigh Valley most effected workers will most likley become letter carriers and they will be represented by another union.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the USPS an effected employee could be placed within 50 miles of their current workplace. APWU members are mail clerks, maintenance workers, and conduct clerical work.

There are approximately 25 mail delivery positions currently unfiled in Scranton that the APWU members could be transferred to, around 21 available in Wilkes-Barre, and 17 in Pittston, Mr. Gallagher stated.

However, there would still be around 30 more people that the USPS would need to find jobs for that would be affected by the processing center consolidation.

Mr. Gallagher added that USPS management officials in Pittsburgh indicated to him that those employees without job placement could end-up just sitting in the “lunch-room” during work hours with nothing to do.